Areas of Specialization / Research
German Language and Civilization
Polish Language and Civilization
International Relations / Diplomatic History
20th Century Europe
19th and 20th Century European Popular Culture
The Silk Road of the 21st Century

Philosophy of Teaching

Education breaks down socio-economic, gender, racial, ethnic, and religious barriers. It protects democracy by shaping students into leaders and citizens with a life-long commitment to tolerance, respect, fairness, work ethics, and intellectual curiosity. Technology helps educators return to a classical educational model by enabling personalized instruction.

A virtual travel into human tragedies and triumphs, history teaches us to assess the importance of individual efforts against forces that humans do not control. It helps us gain a deeper appreciation of cultural diversity and global interactions. In order to know, understand and accept others, we must first learn to know, understand, and accept ourselves. History therefore is first and foremost an exercise in observation, critical thinking, and self-discovery. This exercise is not complete, however, without history’s highest mission, which is to heal the wounds of the past through the search for truth.

Courses TaughtWorld Civilizations I and II ( (Prehistory – 1500 ; 1500 - Present)
Methods: History and Historians / Senior Seminar
20th Century Europe (1914 – 1945 ; 1945 - Present)
Russian and Soviet History (Imperial – 1917 ; Soviet and Post-Soviet History)
Diplomatic and International History
The Cold War Through the Eyes of James Bond
The 21st Century World
Holocaust Travel Study in the U.S. and in Europe (Germany, Czech Republic, Poland)

Honors2009 Prix Horace from the Cénacle Européen des Arts et des Lettres (Paris, France) for the translation of Charles Wright’s Appalachia]
2002 Cunningham Outstanding Teacher-Scholar Award, The University of Tennessee at Martin
1999 International Scholar, The University of Tennessee at Martin
1999 Featured Scholar, School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tennessee at Martin

Major Historical Publications20th century Europe textbook (under contract with Pearson).